Police Arrest Suspected Vandal Of PMB’s Billboard

Police have arrested one of the suspects that vandalised a giant-size billboard of President Muhammadu Buhari at the Abia State secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Umuahia, the capital.

The state secretary of the party, Chidi Avoaja, stated this while speaking to newsmen at its secretariat at No 40 Uyo Street in the capital, adding that the suspect is believed to be a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) thug.

He said the arrest followed a report by him at the Central Police Station (CPS) in the capital, adding, “As soon as I complained, they quickly swung into action and arrested the suspect who was last seen at the PDP secretariat the previous day.

Frowning at the development, Avoaja, who said he suspects the PDP-led government of masterminding the destruction added, “It is very unfortunate and a mark of disrespect for the president of the country.”

He explained that it was the security man at the secretariat that informed him about the destruction at about 6.30 am last Friday, adding that when he arrived there, he saw that the billboard had been turn to shreds.

He said the security man told him that at about 3.30pm he heard the sound of a vehicle stop at the secretariat followed immediately by the footsteps of the suspects, noting that he said initially, he could not understand their mission.

According to him, “The next thing he heard was the sound of the destruction which he said he thought was being executed by a mad man, but on citing him, they quickly jumped into the vehicle and drove away.”

However, the chief security officer (CSO) of party in the state, Uwakwe Okeh, speaking to LEADERSHIP Sunday at the secretariat confirmed the incident, saying adequate measures had been taken to protect the environment.

When contacted on the telephone, the state police public relations officer (PPRO), Geoffrey Ogbonna, said he is not aware of the incident and arrest, promising to inquire about it as soon as the discussion ended.